The Hours
by KimyouTeki
Summary: It's Valentine's Day, and unrequited love abounds among the YGO bishies! Warnings: Yaoi, possible suicide.
1. Homemade

Kimyo: This fic is an homage to the movie _The Hours,_ which is nothing short of magnificent. I was watching it, and several small ideas that were floating around came together and crystallized.

There will be no fluff or lemons, but there will be boy's love and forbidden kisses. I recommend that you see the movie if you haven't already, but it's not vital.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Gi Oh or The Hours, or Virginia Woolf. All I've got is my love of bishies and my crush on Nicole Kidman.

Now, shall we begin?

__

My life in a single day... and in that single day... my life...

o

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Chapter One: Homemade

o o

o

Ryou decided he would buy the flowers himself.

He went to his favorite place, Lowe's. They always had a great variety of beautiful and exotic flowers. They had many leafy tropical plants, too, but Ryou paid no attention to them. He always preferred the flowers. Seeing them usually gave him such joy, and anyone who saw him today wouldn't think to guess otherwise.

They would be wrong.

As Ryou gazed from flower to flower, that sweet familiar smile on his face, his heart was broken.

Ryou stopped and looked closer at some bougainvillea. "Hmm..."

He'd been looking forward to this outing. He'd been so excited. But now, he couldn't remember why this had seemed so important.

He stopped near the end of an aisle.

There were Yugi and Yami, picking out flowers together. Yugi selected a small pot of gerber daisies and held them out for Yami's approval.

Ryou took a tiny step backwards, and Yugi suddenly turned and noticed him. "Ryou! Hi, what are you doing here?"

Ryou sighed inwardly and smiled. "Hello, Yugi. Yami. I'm surprised to see you here." Yugi and Yami were walking over, so he met them halfway.

Yugi's smile was brighter than usual. "Yami and I are buying flowers for Anzu. We decided live ones would be better, since they last longer." He got closer and nudged Ryou. "Are you buying flowers for someone?"

"No, I just thought it might brighten up the house a bit." It was Monday, February 14th. Ryou had come before school in hopes of avoiding crowds.

He regarded Yugi and Yami's happy faces with a combination of envy and superiority. _Declaring your love for Anzu. One of you will be crying tonight._

"I don't think I'll be buying flowers after all," he announced. "I haven't got time to take them home, and I don't want them sitting on my desk all day." He wanted to get away, but Yugi's hand on his arm held him back.

"Then could you help us decide what flowers to get? You've got great taste, Ryou."

o o o

They were done, they were finally done. Jouno threw the apron off over his head and stood proudly over the _honmei_ chocolates he'd made all by himself.

There was one in the shape of a rose for his sister Serenity._ Man, I can't wait 'til tonight. We hardly get to see each other._

The other was in the shape of a claddaugh. Jouno put his hands on his hips and sighed. He'd started out thinking about Mai. But she wasn't even in town as far as he knew.

He tilted his head. _It's gone. Oh, Mai... There was a time when I thought for sure you and I would end up together, but now..._ he let his eyes close slowly. _My feelings for you have vanished._ He saw brown hair, penetrating blue eyes... _Kaiba..._

Bolting upright, he sucked in a breath as his eyes snapped open.

_Stop doing this to yourself. It was a kiss, one stupid little kiss. It probably didn't even mean anything to him. _

He lovingly placed the chocolates in store bought gift boxes for safekeeping. After several minutes of silent debate, he decided to take the chocolate heart with him to school, but it was definitely _not_ for Kaiba, Jouno asserted, ignoring the heat in his face.

o o o

Ryou surprised himself by feeling some small degree of happiness that girls crowded around his desk before first period, bearing chocolates and small stuffed animals. He accepted every single one, and thanked them kindly. He watched out the corner of his eye as Yugi and Yami gave Anzu chocolate and the flowers he'd helped them choose. Lowe's had had bachelor's buttons in both pink and purple, so he'd recommended the pink ones for Yami, and the purple ones for Yugi.

Smiling, Anzu accepted Yami's gifts and hugged him. Ryou couldn't tear his gaze away in anticipation of Yugi bursting into tears and running from the classroom.

She placed Yami's gifts on her desk, then turned around and accepted Yugi's gifts, taking him into her arms as well. Ryou didn't realize he was frowning.

_So they weren't declaring love after all. They were just "friendship" gifts. Must be nice._

"Something wrong?"

Pulled from his thoughts, he turned and looked at Honda.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You looked kinda down. Everything alright?" He looked around. "Where's Bakura?"

It seemed to take Ryou forever to think of something. "He... he got a lead about a millennium item, I think." He winced. _The millennium items have already been found!_

"What? Millennium item?"

"No, I mean, the mystery of the Pharaoh's memories. He's off doing research, I'm not sure where."

o o o

When the sleek black Rolls Royce pulled up to a quiet side entrance and Kaiba disembarked, he was chagrined to see a blonde waiting for him at the gate.

Jouno leaned against the chain link fence outside the school, arms crossed, brow furrowed. Kaiba approached slowly, aluminum briefcase in hand, eyes as cold and blue as they were in Jouno's strongest memories. All either could hear was the cheerleaders rehearsing in the field nearby, and Kaiba's footfalls gritting in the dirt.

Kaiba stopped two arm's lengths away, and Jouno spoke first:

"Valentine's Day must be tough for you. You probably have to outrun half the girls in school just to get to class. I'm surprised you even showed up."

"I thought I made myself clear, Wheeler. Stay away from me."

He walked past Jouno, giving him a wide berth.

Watching him walk away, Jouno was almost overwhelmed by the desire to scream, _I'm in love with you, Kaiba!_

Kaiba stopped. He looked over his shoulder, but Jouno couldn't see his eyes. After a moment, Kaiba continued down the walkway to the school doors.

Jouno slid down to sit upon the dirt, his face warm, his eyes feeling the sting of unshed tears.

_Why am I doing this?_

_It's so stupid..._

_What's wrong with me?_

1

homemade

finish


	2. A Small Fluttering

Kimyo: Mmmm... Chocolate... oishishii da nyaa...

Thanks to kaibasapuppetinmyworld, Puppy Jou and Kitty Seto (thnx for the chocolate!), and Sour Shuyler for reviewing!

o

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Chapter Two: A Small Fluttering

o o

o

Ryou thought he'd hate sour apple flavored bubble gum. He'd only bought it because it was included in the variety pack. Oddly enough, it had come to be his favorite. He sat on the stoop behind the school at lunchtime, completely enshrouded in the shade of the large building. The concrete and wind chilled him, but he didn't care. He sat and chewed sour apple. It was the only thing he could do when he was agitated.

There'd been a time when he used to slice his arm to ribbons with double-edged razors. No one here knew about it, not even his yami or his former lover.

He'd spent four days at the state hospital, in the ward for teenagers who'd tried to kill themselves, and now, he was _cured._

He leaned back and closed his eyes, seeing Bakura's face again, twisted in shock and unmistakable disgust.

_He must find me so repulsive. Maybe I'll never see him again._

"Did you eat lunch?"

He sat straight and opened his eyes. There stood Yami, smiling that small, secretive smile he was known for.

"Yes."

"Liar." He calmly walked over and sat beside Ryou.

_Please go away. All I wanted was to be alone._

"Yugi asked me to see if you were alright."

Ryou felt a pang of guilt about earlier, when he'd been watching and waiting for Yugi's heart to be stomped on. He lowered his head and looked away, chewing faster.

Yami leaned closer, trying to see Ryou's eyes.

"Where is Bakura?"

He made a sound in his throat and jumped to his feet.

"Wait..."

He ignored Yami and walked faster.

o o o

Girls were roaming the grounds, forlornly cradling boxes of chocolates, plushies, and bouquets of flowers. Seto Kaiba was nowhere to be found.

Jouno stood alone in the boys' room, leaning over the sink, gazing into his brown eyes in the mirror. He couldn't stop staring... he lost himself in the faint tones etched in his iris, the sort of detail you don't notice unless you look closely.

With a sharp exhalation, he pushed himself away from the sink and walked out quickly, almost running. He decided to go home.

_I've never been any good at school anyway. Might as well just go home. I can get things ready for Serenity. I can bake a cake._

o o o

She was cute girl, with a kind smile on her face. "What are you reading?"

Ryou was sitting at his desk. It was between classes, and although most students socialized at that time, Ryou had chosen to read instead.

He closed and lowered the hard covered book, keeping the place with his index finger. "It's called 'Mrs. Dalloway'."

"Oh," she said politely, but obviously uninterested. "Um, I was wondering, what are you doing tonight? I thought maybe we could go to a movie, or..." She lowered her head, her face turning beet red.

"A movie," he repeated thoughtfully.

_I'll be back in Domino Monday night. Please, just talk to me..._

"Yes," he said, smiling his sweetest smile. "A movie sounds wonderful. Maybe we could even make a night of it."

o o o

He climbed on top of the gate, then hopped down and landed on his feet on the sidewalk. It was midday, and the sun was right overhead. Jouno felt very warm, even though it was February.

Glad to be off school grounds, he walked down the street in the direction of the grocery store. After a few steps, he stopped and looked up at the windows in the school. He wondered if Kaiba was watching him from one of those shaded windows.

He pushed thoughts of Kaiba away, and spent the time it took to reach the HEB planning out Serenity's visit. He remembered Serenity saying she'd always wanted a moon shaped chocolate cake with blue frosting.

_I'll bake the perfect cake for you, Serenity. _

_Maybe I should buy roses._

_What is that?_

He stopped, just a block away from the grocery store. In the dusty gutter at the corner was a small fluttering. He approached it slowly, sure that it was a piece of trash caught in a breeze.

There by the curb, struggling in the dust, lay a small bird.

Jouno took the creature up in his hands and examined it. The bird's head lolled unnaturally. Jouno knew right away that its neck was broken, and it would die. It flapped its wings, eyes bright with helpless fear, coagulating blood gathered at its beak.

_Must've flown into a car. Poor thing._

He walked the rest of the way to the store, cradling the bird gently in his warm hands. It was still alive, still fighting.

_Maybe if I get him to a vet, he could be alright. He's still so lively..._

There was an animal hospital a bus ride away. He dug out his wallet, and dumped the change onto the sidewalk. He gathered the ninety-five cents required. Then he found that while he'd been doing this, the bird had died quietly in his hand.

Its eyes had lost their light. Its form had lost its vitality. It was completely still... no longer a creature, now, an object.

A corpse is a sad thing to behold.

He buried it at the base of one of the young trees lining the sidewalk. He was surprised that tears fell from his eyes. He wiped them away with the back of his hand and sniffed.

_I'm sorry I couldn't help. But at least you didn't die alone. I hope I made it easier for you, somehow._

2

a small fluttering

finish


	3. Aijin

Kimyo: Sorry it took so very long to update. My _Ring_ fic was deleted, and I was banned from posting anything until today.

Thanks for all your nice reviews, KrystalMountain, Lothwen the Harpist, Dark Egyptian Priestess, OBSESSED Uber Rei(BTW, "Malik, Obsessed" _was_ named after you!), and Shadow Vixen!

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Chapter Three: Aijin

o o

o

The bell had rung some time ago, but Ryou did not hurry to get back to class as he usually did. His feet carried him around the building to the entrance in a half-hearted, mechanical fashion. The sun was glaring down on him.

_Yami's voice: Where's Bakura?_

He didn't know where Bakura was. Bakura had not taken anything, he'd simply run off, like a frightened little boy trying to outrun the demons of hell itself. Ryou smirked briefly at the memory.

_Baku Chan, you were always so strong... yet..._

He remembered laying down to share his bed with his darkness for the first time, after Battle City. They'd lain on their sides, facing each other, and Ryou had been the happiest he could ever remember being.

_Finally,_ he'd thought, _someone who will have to stay with me._

Ryou stopped. The entrance was just twenty feet away. He didn't want to go in. He knew he'd have to see Yugi-tachi again. He'd have to smile at them. Not to mention Yami.

He remembered their flowers, and felt a startling pang of hatred.

Bakura had his own body now. He didn't need a host anymore. Yugi and his friends had each other. Father had his research... those precious archaelogical digs.

At this point, a normal person might have felt the need to cry.

Ryou turned and spit out the gum he'd been chewing for an hour now. His jaw was sore. He wondered if he'd find any more Valentine's Day gifts on his desk. He would be disappointed if he didn't get at least a few.

A wolf-whistle sounded off to his left. They sat sprawled on a bench under a tree nearby, the filtered shade mottling their complexions. Two male classmates, neither particularly attractive, were leering at him.

"Cute," one of them said. Although looking directly into Ryou's eyes, they were addressing each other.

"Yeah," said the other one, "very pretty. But look at the uniform..."

"Oh, it's a boy. Couldn't tell with that freakish hair..."

"Clearly, it must be a fag." They stood and closed in on him.

They circled in such close proximity that he felt their breath when they spoke.

"You're a fag, aren't you?"

"We'll do you a favor..."

"Come with us and we'll let you suck us off. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He gazed at the square jawed boys who could probably crush him flat on a whim. He thought about Bakura... how cold and cruel he was... what he'd do to these assholes if only he was here.

They sweatdropped at Ryou's unfaltering glare, and made a hasty retreat.

Ryou dusted himself off and approached the building, walking faster now.

o o o

After a long, painstaking afternoon, it was done.

The cake was rich chocolate, with white chocolate frosting dyed blue, and white icing, adorned with a fresh white rose.

Jouno scrutinized the expanse of blank frosting on the middle of the cake. He'd almost written _Happy Birthday Serenity,_ but it wasn't her birthday.

_I'm so glad Honda's not here. He'd never let me hear the end of that._

_It's Valentine's Day. Should I write, 'Happy Valentine's Day, Serenity'? No. No, I can't write that to my sister. It would be creepy. But it looks weird with no words on it._

The phone rang.

He knew who it was before he heard his mother's voice, and knew what she'd say before he heard that Serenity wouldn't be coming after all. After a debate that escalated into a screaming match, Jouno turned the cordless phone off and threw the receiver across the room to bounce off the recliner and slide across the floor. Then he collapsed into his couch and wept silently for a few minutes.

The kitchen was seperated from the livingroom by a long island counter. From where Jouno sat, he could not help but see the cake sitting proudly atop its stand, looking so splendid, waiting for Serenity.

He walked over and picked it up. He carried it to his trashcan and held the fruit of all his hard work over it, wanting to chuck it in and then go curl up in bed and wait for the day to be over.

Finally, he decided against that, and set it back down and leaned on the counter, feeling doubly defeated.

_If only I could reach her..._

He didn't have enough money for a train ticket. If he tried to call her, their mother would answer.

_Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon jet._

Jouno sucked in a breath and looked up, eyes focused on nothing.

_Kaiba stopped coming to class right before Battle City. He has private tutors now. So why was he at school today?_

o o o

Ryou broke down and told Yugi-tachi the 'truth' between classes.

"Baku Chan and I had a small argument, and he stormed off."

"What was it about?"

"I caught him stealing while we were at the mall, and I made him return everything. He was rather embarassed."

"Wow," said Honda,"I didn't even know Bakura could get embarassed."

Ryou shrugged and nodded. "I'm sure he'll find his way back when he gets hungry. He still doesn't know how to cook." He giggled at that.

Anzu's cell phone rang. "Hello." She suddenly frowned. "Jouno! Where are you? You should know better than to cut classes. What would Serenity say?" She sighed and handed the phone to Honda. "He wants to talk to you."

Yugi leaned towards Ryou. "So you're really alright?"

Ryou popped another cube of sour apple bubble gum into his mouth. He chomped and gave Yugi the sweetest, most carefree grin he could manage. "Honestly, I don't know what could have made you think anything was wrong, but I'm fine."

Yugi patted Ryou's shoulder. "Glad to hear it."

_I hate him!_

Honda grabbed the phone. "Hey, Jou, if you were gonna skip out, I coulda come with you... Huh?"

"Your motorbike, Man. I need to borrow it."

"You don't even have a license!"

"I'll be fine. Just, please, bring it over after school. It's important."

o o o

Ryou ambled down the sidewalk towards his house. He would be meeting his date in front of the theater. He had plenty of time to get ready, then take a nice leisurely stroll to the rendezvous spot.

_She's probably getting ready right now, trying her best to look pretty just for me._ He smiled. _Maybe it'll be nice. Maybe I can like it._

He turned onto the walkway leading up to his house and stopped short. Someone was sitting on his porch steps, elbows on knees, leaning forward, hair hanging down to conceal his face.

With some distaste, Ryou recognized the sandy blonde hair, tanned skin, and purple midi. He started walking again and stopped well out of reach, regarding the Egyptian impassively.

Malik sniffed and lifted his head to gaze at Ryou with eyes swollen and red from weeping.

"Aijin..."

3

aijin

finish


	4. Please, Suffer

o

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Chapter 4: Please, Suffer

o o

o

_Damnit!_

Kaiba went back and fixed his fifth typo in the same paragraph, then leaned back from his desk, swiveled his chair, and gazed out one of his floor to ceiling windows. All he could see was the featureless facades of all the neighboring corporate skyscrapers. He was too far from ground level to see the street.

Before his desk were two leather couches flanking a coffee table. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, doing his homework on the coffee table, was Mokuba. Feeling Seto's gaze, Mokie looked up.

"Something wrong, Seto?"

He briefly shook his head and hunched over his computer once again. His fingers danced over the keys with minimal supervision from his brain.

_No matter what I'm doing, I invariably wish I were doing something completely different._

_Why can't I ever be satisfied?_

He looked out the windows again, wishing he were out flying his Blue Eyes White Jet.

_Why is everything wrong?_

o o o

Ryou's voice was so cold and blunt, no one who knew him would have recognized it.

"What's wrong?"

Malik rubbed his eyes and slowly got to his feet, sniffing. He showed Ryou his palms. They were covered in dry, scabbed blood, which was encrusted with bits of gravel.

Ryou's widow's peak twitched. "What happened?"

"I was coming to see you, and I got hit by a car."

"Why haven't you been to the hospital?"

"I'll be okay. I just... You're more important." He took a step towards Ryou, who jerked backwards.

"Where are all your friends?"

"They won't be here for a few more hours. I caught an earlier flight because I wanted to see you."

Ryou's stomach was flip-flopping. All he wanted to do was go inside and get ready for his date.

His mouth opened, but he stopped himself from yelling at Malik. They had been lovers, true, but Malik had never seen Ryou's true face. He was in the dark about that, same as Yugi-tachi.

Ryou allowed his cold expression to melt into a sad, but compassionate grin, as if he felt bad about how things had turned out between them.

"I should look at those wounds." He led Malik into the house.

o o o

The motorcycle raced down Main Street, weaving through the traffic, ignoring all the irate honking.

Jouno wanted to see his sister, and he knew Kaiba had the resources to make it happen.

_That's why I'm going to see him,_ he told himself, _at least for now. I can ask him why he's been acting so weird some other time._

o o o

Malik looked around the livingroom and sensed emptiness. He almost asked where Bakura was, but stopped himself. Ryou led him to the couch and gestured for him to sit down.

"I'll be right back." He went upstairs.

Malik sat quietly, shivering. He'd hoped Ryou would be okay by now, but he seemed colder than ever.

_I honestly didn't think I was doing anything wrong... But it looks like he won't forgive me. I've lost him._

Fresh tears fell down Malik's face.

He dried them quickly when he heard Ryou coming down the stairs. Without a word, Ryou set down some bandages and a bottle of alcohol, then turned and went into the kitchen.

Left alone, Malik wondered if he was expected to treat his own wounds. He looked at the alcohol bottle and saw that it was caked with years of dust, and the aged, yellowed label was peeling off. It was old-fashioned and would burn a hell of alot more than the blue stuff he knew Ryou kept on hand for Bakura.

_You want me to suffer, don't you?_

Ryou entered with a tray. On it was a pitcher, a bowl, and two towels. He set it on the coffee table near the alcohol and gauze, then knelt before Malik.

"Let me see your hands." There was an amiable smile on his face, but it held no meaning.

"These look very bad. You should have at least rinsed them off."

He poured some warm water from the pitcher into the bowl, then dipped the first towel in and used it to gently clean away the gravel. Alot of the scabbing fell off, too. Ryou's hands worked with careful patience.

Malik said, "You would make a great nurse." Ryou didn't answer. He set aside the moist, bloody, and gritty towel, then took up the second towel. He unfolded it once and had Malik lay his hands down, then folded the towel around them and gently patted them dry. Malik looked at Ryou's eyes, but Ryou averted his gaze.

He didn't have any cottonballs for the alcohol. He held Malik's hand and simply poured it over. It fizzed up horribly and Malik's eyes welled up with pain, but he didn't make a sound. He took it as punishment.

He poured out tiny amounts at a time, not caring if it got on the carpet. Frothy white bubbles fizzed up again and again. Malik's hands trembled from the pain.

o o o

Kaiba's intercom buzzed.

"Master Kaiba, you have a call from Mr. Jouno Wheeler."

He stabbed the speaker phone button. "This had better be important."

"Konnichiwa to you, too."

Kaiba sighed and closed his eyes. "What do you want, Wheeler?"

Jouno leaned against the payphone out in front of Kaiba's building. "Wanna be my Valentine?"

Mokuba looked up from his homework.

Kaiba blanched and picked up the receiver. He told Mokuba to get back to work, then growled into the phone: "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Geez, it was just a joke. Don't get your boxers in a twist."

"Wheeler, I've got a corporation to run. I haven't got time for crank calls."

"Don't hang up, don't hang up!"

Kaiba stopped in the middle of doing just that. "What do you want?"

"I need a favor, Kaiba. Not a small one, either. You're the only one that can do it."

Kaiba closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. _How do you do it? How do you speak to me so casually after everything that's happened?_

A lusty sigh: _"Wheeler..."_

Jouno's eyes widened and a shiver went down his spine. "Kaiba?"

He blinked and shook his head. "Roland will let you in." He hung up the phone and noticed that Mokuba was looking at him.

"What? What do you want?"

Mokuba got to his feet. Kaiba thought he was going to run off, but he was wrong. Mokuba circled the desk and stood before Seto's chair, gazing at him with sad smoke colored eyes.

"What is it, Mokuba?" He leaned closer and Mokuba cupped Seto's face in his hands. He used his little thumbs to wipe away tears Seto had shed without even realizing it.

"It's okay."

"What?"

"You don't have to lie to me, Seto."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can be with Jouno if you want to. You don't have to hide it from me."

"I.. How.. You don't know what you're talking about."

The intercom buzzed and Seto jumped.

"Mr. Wheeler is here, Sir."

"Let him in."

A spark ignited in Mokie's eyes. "Tell him you love him!"

"Go finish your homework."

"But it's the perfect day. I bet that's why he's here!"

"Stop spouting nonsense and get back to work," He said as he checked his face in a nearby mirror.

_What the hell am I doing?_ He stopped himself and got back to his chair just as the double doors opened and the blonde entered. Kaiba glared Jouno down as he marched up to the desk.

"Hey, Mokuba."

"Hi, Joey," Mokuba uttered before quickly leaving under the burden of his hastily gathered schoolbooks.

As soon as Mokuba was gone, a thick blanket of tension fell over the room.

Kaiba glared at Jouno as if he hated him. "Hurry up and tell me why you're here, Wheeler. I do have a life, you know."

"Look, Kaiba, I didn't come to bother you or start a fight. I need your help."

"Why don't you ask Yugi?"

Jouno shook his head. "I need to borrow one of your helicopters."

Kaiba's eyelid twitched.

"I was supposed to see Serenity today, but our mom up and decided she couldn't come over. I need to see her, Kaiba. I miss her so much."

Seto glowered. "Ever heard of a train?"

"I'm broke. I got nowhere else to turn."

_So I'm your last resort. Great._

"You didn't have plans for today, did you?"

Kaiba's silence screamed volumes.

"Then please, Kaiba..." Jouno bowed and kept his head down.

"Why should I," he wondered aloud.

Jouno lifted his head enough to make eye contact. "Because friends help each other out."

_Oh Dear Ra save me from another friendship speech._ He jumped out of his chair and grabbed his coat. "Fine. I'll tell Mokuba and we'll take the jet."

As he passed by, Jouno grabbed his hand.

"Hey, Kaiba..."

Kaiba twitched and looked into soft chocolate colored eyes.

"Thanks."

He smiled warmly, and Seto's pulse quickened.

4

please, suffer

finish

Kimyo: Thanks for the plushie, Irichi! Thanks also go to Bakura18, OBSESSED Uber Rei, Lily Bob, and Lothwen the Harpist! See ya next update!


	5. Teardrops and Forbidden Kisses

Kimyo: Hello, all! Sorry it took so very long to update. I was focused on my _Ring_ fic, since it is the most popular of my stories here. (probably 'cause it's my first story, and has been around the longest.) I couldn't help myself. I had to update this today. I played _The Hours_ DVD to put me in the right frame of mind, and wrote until my hand cramped up. Then I took a break and came back to write some more.

You can check on the progress of all my stories and see future stories and plot bunnies on my profile page. I update that whenever anything noteworthy happens, so you can know what's up with my fics at all times.

Thanks to my kind reviewers!

Talk It Out, thank you for adding this story to your favs!

Pihorist, what Malik did will become clear soon.

Serenity Meowth, torturing Malik _is_ fun, _neh?_ You don't have to hate someone to torture them, if you're familiar with the sweet agony of sadomasochism.

Before I begin, one small warning: this chapter has a momentary hint of incest.

**Five**  
**Teardrops and Forbidden Kisses**

"I brought you a gift." Malik placed the small box in Ryou's hands. "Please open it."

Ryou set it aside, his smile more strained with each passing moment. "Sorry to be a bad host, but I've got a date and I need to get ready." He stood and walked to the stairs. "You know the way out. It was nice seeing you, Malik."

Malik jumped up and went after him. Ryou, wait. We need to talk." He dashed around and stood between Ryou and the stairs, arms spread.

Ryou frowned at him.

"You can't just dismiss me and not give me a chance to explain."

Ryou crossed his arms. "Get out of my house." He tried to hurry past Malik and go up the stairs, but Malik grabbed desperately at him. Seizing Ryou's arms, he moved the pale teen against the banister, holding him in place by pressing his body against Ryou's struggling form. His hands slid down Ryou's arms and pinned Ryou's hands to the cold carved surface of the railing.

"Does this remind you of anything?" He leaned and breathed his hot words against Ryou's neck, making him shiver. "Our first time, after that concert. I was so shocked when you pushed me up against the wall--"

Ryou thrashed and broke free, shoving Malik backwards. He stumbled down a few steps, but managed not to fall. After he regained his balance, he looked up and met Ryou's fiery gaze. He realized Ryou was waiting for him to speak.

"Ryou, I love you, I do..." Ryou's expression seemed to soften, but Malik wasn't sure. It could have been his wishing for it.

"... But I also love Shuichi, and Mariku--" Ryou stomped down the stairs towards him, intending to throw him out. "-- and Bakura."

Ryou stopped, his hand frozen in the middle of grabbing Malik's arm. They stared at each other.

"Ryou..."

"Did you try anything with him?"

Malik lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment. "... I kissed him..."

"What did he do?"

"He punched me and told me to stay away from you."

Ryou closed his eyes, feeling the sting of tears.

_He told Malik to stay away from me. He was being protective._

_However, that was before..._

He opened his eyes and a single tear fell down. Malik noticed, but didn't say anything.

"Did it hurt?"

"What?"

"Your hands. Did it hurt when you grabbed me?"

They both looked down at Malik's sloppily bandaged hands.

Ryou took hold of them, cradled them lovingly. Malik had so missed Ryou's touch. Looking up, he saw Ryou gazing intently at their hands, as if some vital truth laid there.

After a long time, he snapped out of it, and led Malik to the kitchen.

o o o

They found Serenity walking with a couple of girlfriends, talking and laughing. She looked up and was stunned to see Jouno running to her, arms spread.

"Serenity!"

Her smile brightened and she opened her arms. "Big Brother!"

Jouno scooped his sister into a tight hug. He lifted her off the sidewalk and twirled her around, making her laugh and hug him tighter. Kaiba walked up slowly, keeping his distance as he watched them.

He set her down and they looked at each other.

"I'm so glad to see you, Big Brother! Mother said you'd cancelled."

Jouno shook his head. "No way I'd ever disappoint you. Come on."

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"Wherever you want. Kaiba's got a jet."

Serenity stopped, shaking her head. "I can't. Mother told me to come straight home after school. If I don't, she'll worry."

"We'll call her and tell her where you are. Come on." He tried to pull her along, but she wouldn't budge.

"I'm sorry. I can't." She began to hurry away from him.

"Serenity, wait." He grabbed her arm. She'd been walking so fast that she was swung around and drawn back to Jouno, into his arms. He caught her, and they found themselves in an embrace, their lips pressed together. Serenity tried to pull away, but was shocked when Jouno held onto her, kissing her.

He pulled back and whispered huskily, his eyes searching her face. "Don't I seem better now?"

She broke away from him and stepped away, offering a perturbed glance before she turned and ran.

He didn't chase her, only watched her vanish around the corner. Ignoring the giggling schoolgirls passing by, he noticed that Kaiba was staring at him.

_"What?_ What do you want?" Without waiting for Kaiba to answer, he turned and strode off in the other direction.

"Wheeler, you're going the wrong way!" He began to follow.

"Just leave me alone!" He sped into a run, and Kaiba did the same.

They wound up in a quiet backalley between residential streets. Over the tops of the concrete walls, only rooftops could be seen.

As Kaiba rounded the corner, he saw that Jouno had slowed to an amble. He approached quietly.

Jouno looked at the trashcan for a few seconds before digging into his backpack. He brought out Serenity's honmei chocolate and gazed at the box he'd placed it in, thinking about all the love that had gone into it. Then he tossed it in and walked off, wiping tears away. He didn't hear Kaiba closing in. When Kaiba grabbed the blonde's wrist, Jouno gasped and half-spun, looking at Kaiba with wide eyes.

"Let's go back, Wheeler."

Jouno tried to pull his hand away, but Kaiba's grip was too strong. "Let go of me."

"How are you going to get home? Walk? Hitchike, maybe?"

"That's my decision, isn't it?" He pulled away, struggling harder, but Kaiba wouldn't let go.

"I'm not leaving you here."

"Let go of me!" He finally managed to break free, but could only back towards the wall.

"It's time to go home."

Jouno's back thumped against the cool concrete, and his backpack slid down his arm to hit the ground. "Stop looking at me that way."

Kaiba regarded him questioningly.

"Everyone looks at me like I'm made of glass, and they think I don't notice. I'm sick of it." Jouno's head was down, and he was looking off to the side.

Kaiba didn't take his gaze away. He took in the sight of Jouno's blonde hair and the heartbreaking sadness in his eyes. He didn't think Jouno was fragile, but he couldn't fight back the fear he had yet to define-- fear of losing Jouno Wheeler.

He changed the subject. "Did you see anything today?"

Jouno chuckled. "This morning, I saw a figure on the street walking towards me. She had no face and seemed like she was made of black fire." His face shone with tears. "I don't think the meds are working."

Without thinking, Kaiba placed his hands on the sides of Jouno's face and wiped the tears away with his thumbs.

Jouno turned his head, forcing Kaiba's hands away. "Leave me alone."

"I can't do that."

Jouno tried in vain to push him away. "Stop! I can't take this anymore!" He stopped fighting and glared at Kaiba, who had managed to pin him against the wall. "Why do you keep doing this to me? You pull away, you make it so clear that you couldn't care less about me, and then you act like you're in love with me and I'm your property!"

Kaiba didn't say anything, but his eyes seemed to darken a shade.

Jouno suspected Kaiba's intentions when he saw the teen lick his lips, but didn't think Kaiba would actually do it and was shocked to feel Kaiba's bruising kiss.

He squeezed his eyes shut and took hold of Kaiba's shoulders, his fingers digging in. He parted his lips, inviting Kaiba to deepen the kiss, and a moment later, felt the euphoric caress of Kaiba's tongue against his. Jouno's knees buckled, and he leaned into Kaiba, clutching him even tighter.

After some time, they reluctantly broke the kiss and gazed at each other, catching their breaths.

Kaiba shocked Jouno twice more. First, Jouno saw tears dropping from Kaiba's eyes. Then, he heard Kaiba's deep, sensuous murmurr:

_"I love you."_

The blonde's breath hitched in his throat, but before he could respond, Kaiba's eyes widened, as if he'd snapped out of a trance. He let go of Jouno and backed away, eyes wide, as if disgusted with himself.

"Kaiba, don't."

Kaiba broke into a full run and disappeared, stranding Jouno.

o o o

There was a long counter in the kitchen lined with three barstools. Malik sat on one of these, facing Ryou, who was standing beside him. On the counter were fresh bandages, cottonballs, and a bottle of blue disinfectant. Ryou unwrapped the shoddy bandages he'd applied earlier.

Neither spoke for a while. When Malik finally said something, the suddenness of his voice was startling.

"I thought you were out of cottonballs."

Ryou didn't answer. Soon, he was finished. Only then did he look up and meet Malik's gaze.

Again, Malik was the first to speak.

"I've missed you." He reached haltingly, and Ryou allowed Malik to touch him. The backs of Malik's slender bronze fingers caressed the side of Ryou's face, luxuriating in the softness of his pale skin. They moved lower and found Ryou's mouth. Malik ran his thumb over Ryou's lower lip, feeling his shaky breath.

The phone rang, and they jolted.

"Don't answer it."

"It could be my father." _Or Bakura._ Malik watched him cross the kitchen.

_"Moshi moshi._ Oh. Lolly, I'm so sorry. Something came up, and I'm running late." He cast a side glance in Malik's direction. "I'll be there soon. Sorry again." He hung up.

Malik was standing beside him now. "Was that your valentine?"

"Just a classmate."

Malik smiled at him. "Don't you think we should talk?"

"I've got to be somewhere."

"I can wait. Ryou..." He pressed his lips against Ryou's in a tentative kiss. He didn't want to come on too strong and risk being pushed away again.

They parted and looked at each other, and, fighting back tears, Ryou could not stifle a nervous laugh. "I'll be back in a few hours."

Malik smiled broader than before. "I'll wait here."

Ryou nodded. "Okay."

He left in quite a hurry, not bothering to get himself ready to the extent he'd meant to before. Malik watched him walk away, unaware of all the confusion going through Ryou's mind as he disappeared down the street.

**5**

**teardrops and forbidden kisses**

**finish**

KimyouTeki: Yay, new chapter! Hope you liked it! Please review and let me know what you think!


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